


Whispers to the Holy Mother

by wanderingKite



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Anger, Canon Compliant, Gen, Mentor/Protégé, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 21:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20032336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingKite/pseuds/wanderingKite
Summary: Logan seeks a mentor for his clone/daughter, Laura (X-23). What can the Man Without Fear teach her?





	Whispers to the Holy Mother

**Author's Note:**

> I erred on the side of making the margin CSS more compatible with a mobile aspect ratio. You may find this easier to read on desktop if you make your window narrower. Sorry for the inconvenience if you are reading on desktop!
> 
> Thanks to my friend Henry for the Spanish translations!

**INT. MATT MURDOCK’S APARTMENT -- HELL’S KITCHEN -- DAY**

This apartment is clean but sparsely decorated. Its enormous windows face a garish neon sign that casts a red light over everything. On a rickety side table there is a small stack of Spanish/English children’s books from the library. A YOUNG GIRL, about twelve, is sitting on a couch with her knees tucked up under her chin staring off into space. This is LAURA, daughter/clone of Logan, the Wolverine.

Pacing back and forth near the door is MATT MURDOCK in civilian dress, anxious.

Suddenly, the door to Matt’s apartment EXPLODES OPEN, falling off the hinges.

Through the door comes LOGAN, seething with anger. Laura looks up and her eyes narrow.

LOGAN  
WHAT THE FUCK MURDOCK!?

Matt turns toward Logan, frowns.

MATT  
Hello Logan. Won’t you come in?

CUT TO:

**INT. MATT MURDOCK’S APARTMENT -- HELL’S KITCHEN -- DAY [FLASHBACK]**

It’s a few months prior. Same apartment, but it’s in very different shape. Clothes are laying on the floor and everything is unorganized. Matt looks different too. His face has stubble and he’s wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with holes. He’s sitting on the floor meditating when he hears an IMPATIENT KNOCKING on his door.

**INT. MATT MURDOCK’S APARTMENT BUILDING -- HALLWAY -- HELL’S KITCHEN [FLASHBACK CONT.]**

Matt opens the door. Standing outside in the hallway are Logan and Laura, arguing.

LOGAN (struggling with the Spanish)  
Este buen[this good]...uh…aprende[learn]...regular kid

LAURA (over him)  
Esto es una mierda! Quiero estar en la mansión con Charles [This is bullshit! I want to be at the mansion with Charles!]

LOGAN  
No! You can’t spend all your time with Charles! He’s an old man, you need to learn to be with regular kids your age!

Laura, infuriated that he isn’t listening to her, pushes him. She’s strong and it moves him. Logan sticks his finger in her face.

LOGAN  
You can’t shove me! No! ¡Malo! [Bad!] You need to learn to control your fucking temper!

SNKT! -- Laura’s claws jump out of her right hand, she yells in frustration, and SINKS HER CLAWS INTO LOGAN, right where the shoulder meets the arm. Logan grunts and sighs, his temper trickling away -- much like the blood from his body. Laura’s face registers regret for a moment. Then she makes a disgusted face and PULLS HER CLAWS OUT OF HIM.

LAURA  
Maldito hipócrita. [Fucking hypocrite.]

Logan checks his jacket and shirt. Ruined. But his healing powers are already taking care of the stab wounds. Logan turns to Matt.

LOGAN  
Well are you just going to stand there and stare or are you going to invite us in?

CUT TO:

**INT. MATT MURDOCK’S APARTMENT -- HELL’S KITCHEN -- DAY [FLASHBACK CONT.]**

Back in Matt’s apartment. Matt and Logan are standing in the middle of the room. Laura is prowling around, examining everything while feigning disinterest.

LOGAN  
Most kids at the mansion came there after already living out here for a while. Laura didn’t. She needs to learn to be around non-mutants.

MATT  
I’m not a babysitter, Logan.

He senses Laura tense.

MATT  
I mean --

She gets an ugly look on her face. She SNAPS the statue of the Virgin Mary she was examining in half. Makes a sarcastic “whoops” expression. Matt doesn’t respond to her bid for attention.

MATT  
...why don’t you ask someone at the mansion? Someone Laura knows and trusts?

LOGAN  
We can’t spare anyone at the mansion right now. Big galactic thing. You don’t wanna know.

MATT  
Surely there are others in New York…

LOGAN (ugly laughing)  
You want me to leave her with Jones? Morales? It’s only weekends, Murdock.

MATT  
Doing what exactly?

LOGAN  
Charles told me you’re still involved with that orphanage you came out of.

MATT (uncomfortable)  
I haven’t volunteered there in a while.

LOGAN  
Then re-enlist. Take her with you.

Matt is conflicted. Laura is pacing around, hoping that Matt will say no, and talking to herself. She’s not bothering to lower her voice, as it’s still all Spanish.

LAURA  
No me dejes con los niños normales. Son débiles estupidos. [Do not dump me with the normal kids. They’re stupid little weaklings.]

MATT (to Laura)  
¡Oye! [Hey!]

Laura jumps.

MATT  
Siéntate. Escúchame. [Sit down. Listen to me.]

Matt gestures toward the couch. Laura insolently pushes braille books off of it onto the floor to sit. Matt crouches down so they are on the same level. He waits a beat before speaking, gathering himself.

MATT (softly, but not patronizing)  
Sé que te han pasado cosas terribles. Aún peor de lo que podría imaginar. Pero solo porque tienes esas… [I know you’ve gone through some terrible things. Worse than I could probably imagine. But just because you’ve got those…]

He indicates her hands, with the adamantium claws hidden inside.

MATT (CONT.)  
...no te hace mejor que los niños de St. Agnes’. Les han pasado cosas duras también. No son débiles ni estúpidos. Por favor, que no hables de ellos así frente a mí. [...doesn’t make you better than the kids at St. Agnes’. They’ve gone through hard things too. They’re not weak and they’re not stupid. Please do not speak about them that way in front of me.]

He waits, doesn’t look away from her.

Laura nods. She’s too proud to show shame, but it’s not sassy either. Matt lets out a deep breath, nods back. He gets up and turns to Logan.

LOGAN  
Yeah, she’s damned rude and --

MATT (interrupting)  
It’s fine. (Beat.) I can do it.

CUT TO:

**MONTAGE -- VARIOUS [FLASHBACK]**

\- Outside St. Agnes’ Orphanage, Matt is leaning down a bit to speak with Laura. She looks annoyed, but ultimately walks in with him.  
\- In the basement of St. Agnes’, Matt and Laura serving meals to homeless youth together.  
\- A SANCTIMONIOUS VOLUNTEER lecturing a GROUP OF YOUTH who clearly just want to sit down and eat. He’s interrupted when Matt uses his blindness as an excuse to run into him, knocking him over and allowing the children to escape. Laura laughing.  
\- Laura joining a SOLITARY TWEEN at a table and awkwardly chatting with him in Spanish. He shows her his notebook with cool drawings.  
\- On his way out, Laura gives the solitary tween an extra bread roll.

**INT. MATT MURDOCK’S APARTMENT -- HELL’S KITCHEN -- DAY [PRESENT]**

Logan is pacing back and forth in front of Matt, like a predatory animal. Laura is behind Matt, still on the couch refusing to make eye contact with Logan.

LOGAN  
She could’ve killed them!

MATT  
She lost her temper. That happens, with kids and adults.

**MONTAGE -- HELL’S KITCHEN ALLEY [FLASHBACK]**

\- The solitary tween in an alley trying to help up a bruised and beaten OLDER HOMELESS PERSON, a group of UPPITY TEENS are jeering at them. They are clearly the perpetrators of the harm caused to the older person.  
\- The solitary tween yelling at the uppity teens, gesturing for them to leave.  
\- One of the uppity teens pushing the solitary tween down, he drops his bread roll, sending it rolling toward…  
\- Laura, coming upon the scene, instantly overcome with primal rage.  
\- Laura dishing out a vicious beat down and hurling the uppity teens into walls.  
\- The uppity teens running and/or limping away in terror.

CUT TO:

**INT. MATT MURDOCK’S APARTMENT -- HELL’S KITCHEN -- DAY [PRESENT]**

LOGAN  
You were supposed to make her calm, detached -- like you!

MATT (quietly)  
I lose my temper sometimes too, Logan.

Logan stops, squares with Matt, and squints at him.

LOGAN  
Is that a threat --

Logan shoves Matt in the chest, who is forced to take a step back.

LOGAN (CONT.)  
\-- blind man?

Matt furrows his brow.

MATT  
Not everything is a fight, Logan.

But this incenses Logan even more.

LOGAN  
WRONG MURDOCK! It’s always a fight! It might be a fight that’s about to break out or a fight that cooled down for a second, but it’s always a fucking fight!

MATT  
She’s not you, Logan! She’s not growing up when you grew up! And she’s not growing up the same way! I’m sorry Jean is gone, I really am. But we’ve all lost people and that doesn’t mean you get to put your grief on Laura! --

But Matt has raised the wrong subject. SNKT! Logan’s claws flash out and he flings himself at Matt who doesn’t flinch.

Suddenly, mid-air, Logan is HIT LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN by Laura who is also in the air, tackling him.

LAURA  
No!

She and Logan crash into the wall, leaving a huge crack. Laura’s claws come out too and the tips reach out JUST SHORT OF LOGAN’S CHEST.

Logan pants, looks up at her. Laura looks right back at him.

LAURA (deadly calm)  
You need to learn to control your fucking temper.

She RETRACTS HER CLAWS. Laura walks over to a small table and picks up the SHODDILY REPAIRED VIRGIN MARY STATUE and starts speaking to it rapidly under her breath in Spanish.

Logan rolls his eyes, gets up, and dusts himself off. He struggles for a moment.

LOGAN (muttering)  
...at least she didn’t stab me this time.

LOGAN (CONT., indiciating Laura, still talking to the Virgin Mary)  
She do that a lot?

MATT  
It’s a coping mechanism we’ve been working on.

LOGAN  
Yeah, coping mechanisms. That’s...good, Murdock. I remember Jean used to --

He stops, unable to see that sentence through to the end.

LOGAN  
Anyway, I’ve got to go. You can keep her the rest of the weekend.

Logan turns to Laura and raises his hand in farewell.

LOGAN  
See ya later, kid.

LAURA  
Chao. [Later.]

Logan walks toward the door. He makes a half-hearted attempt to rehang it as he exits. Looks back at Matt and shrugs, then leaves. Matt turns to Laura, who is now sitting down flipping through one of the children’s books.

MATT  
No creo que realmente me hubiera lastimado. Y en cualquier caso, podría haber aguantado.. [I don’t think he really would’ve hurt me. And in any case, I could’ve held my own.]

LAURA  
Lo sé [I know], Mattie.

Matt sits down next to Laura and she begins to read to him.

**CUT TO BLACK.**


End file.
